The Mandarin (Earth-11584)
History "I will reach out with my hands and seize the power I desire and deserve, and I shall remake the Earth in my image. So says The Mandarin." The Mandarin is the title granted to the warlord leader of the criminal syndicate known as The Ten Rings. One of the world's most feared terrorists, the past of The Mandarin was once shrouded in mystery, with some even questioning whether The Mandarin was a real person or just a fictitious persona presented by the group to strike fear in their enemies. The truth was that the title of "The Mandarin" was given to certain members of a sect of warrior monks known as the Serpent's Guard within the mystical city of K'un-Lun. These monks were guardians of knowledge within the sacred city, as well as the gatekeeper's to the so called "Dragon Dimension" that was the home of the Dragons of K'un-Lun such as Shou-Lao the Undying (the source of the power of the Iron Fist). The Guard, for centuries, remained neutral in the struggle between the sacred order of the Iron Fist and the renegade sect known as The Hand. However, they secretly used the ancient knowledge of K'un-Lun to forge ten mystical rings that had various powers. Those that could use these rings were the ones granted the title of Mandarin. The current bearer of that title was the son of English explorers who had gotten lost in the mountains of Tibet sometime during the Napoleonic Era. Raised in the city of K'un-Lun, the boy grew into manhood and joined the Serpent's Guard, either unwilling or unable to try and earn the power of the Iron Fist himself. Due to the unique nature of K'un-Lun, the life of this boy was extended greatly, basically ceasing to age shortly after reaching the peak of maturity. However, for as yet unknown reasons, the Mandarin was expelled from K'un-Lun and into the real world. This is likely tied to the fact that the Mandarin has all ten of the mystical rings of K'un-Lun, and has spoken of the Serpent's Guard no longer existing. Rather than join with the Renegade Hand (though he would work with them on occasion), the Mandarin formed his own criminal syndicate within central Asia, taking the name of the Ten Rings and operating from Afghanistan to the foothills of Tibet. The structure of the Ten Rings allowed some autonomy to various regional warlords, such as the warlord Raza, who controlled the area around Gulmira. It was here that the Mandarin first learned of Tony Stark and his armored suit, torching Raza's camp when he learned of the warlord's failure. He then spent the next few years studying Stark and his various exploits. Eventually the Mandarin decided the time was right to launch a master plan to conquer Asia and hold the rest of the world at his knees. Through unknown means he managed to open a portal to the Dragon's Dimension and capture an injured elder dragon by the name of Fin Fang Foom. The process though further injured the dragon, requiring it to be healed with cybernetic attachments. To do this, The Mandarin broke into the Raft prison (shortly after Steve Rogers had liberated the Secret Avengers from there) and kidnapped former industrialist Justin Hammer to build these cybernetic parts to enhance the dragon's power. In order to control Foom, The Mandarin also required the powers of the Mind Stone, and he set into motion a plan to get the Vision, the current keeper of the Infinity Stone. He sent his forces within the Ten Rings to several different locations simultaneously, pulling off several terrorist attacks at once. He also hired the mercenary Crossbones to attract the attention of Tony Stark by attacking his wedding to Pepper Potts, before declaring himself to the whole of the world. Stealing a nuclear weapon from an old Soviet stockpile, The Mandarin detonated it in a remote South American area and eventually demanding the Vision as ransom to prevent another nuclear attack. The Mandarin appeared to get what he wanted when SHIELD director Thaddeus Ross agreed to pay the ransom unilaterally, but Stark had other ideas, sending both Vision and a War Machine drone into the Mandarin's palace as a distraction. Unfortunately the Mandarin was able to copy certain aspects of the Mind Stone with his own rings, using that power to control the mind of Fin Fang Foom and launch an attack on Shanghai, which he intended to make his new capital. However Stark, Vision, and two War Machine drones piloted by Rhodey and Pepper were able to defeat the Mandarin and break his control on the Dragon. Fin Fang Foom captured The Mandarin and took him back to the Dragon's Dimension to meet an uncertain fate. Powers & Abilities * Ten Rings of K'un-Lun: The Mandarin, or at least this incarnation of him, had inherited Ten Rings of Power from the Serpent's Guard of K'un-Lun, which granted him various powers ranging from teleportation to control over the elements to copying other mystical powers in his vicinity. Drawing their power from various dimensions in the multiverse (which stem from K'un-Lun's unique place as a Dimensional Nexus, one of only 7 in the known universe), these rings are nigh indestructible and respond fully to the whims of their wielder. * Head of the Ten Rings: As the head of one of the largest terrorist organizations in the world, The Mandarin had access to several different criminal organizations and individuals to conduct his plans with, and even had the ability to steal a nuclear warhead from a secure location. * Master Martial Artist: Having lived in K'un-Lun for at least a century of our time, it's strongly suggested that the Mandarin is an expert martial artist. Weaknesses As with many of the villains in the MCU, the Mandarin's primary weakness is his arrogance, believing in his own divine right to rule above all else. However beyond his power rings, the Mandarin is not physically imposing. His rings, though formidable, could be overcome by greater technology as well, and he was little physical match for even an injured dragon of K'un-Lun in Fin Fang Foom. Film Details The Mandarin appears in the following films within the Earth-11584 continuity. In all cases he is portrayed by actor Ben Kingsley. * Iron Man (2008) only * Daredevil Season 1 (2015) only * Captain America: Civil War (2016) * Iron Man 4 (2016) Category:Earth-11584 Category:Earth-11584 Characters Category:Bad Characters